Peru is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America and with good reason.

Known for its mighty monuments such as Machu Picchu, Peru is home to some of the most beautiful Inca architecture in the world.

It is also famous for its dazzling cloud forests, the snow capped peaks of the majestic Andes, the Amazon River that cleaves through the heart of primary rainforest as well as the sprawling Atacama Desert.

However, visitors to Peru should exercise caution as the country is known for having a high crime rate. Tourist targeted scams are also common as visitors are seen as being wealthy targets.

When you arrive in Peru make sure to familiarize yourself with the currency first and take care when you receive any change from a local taxi driver or business.

Make sure you count the change slowly before moving on to ensure it is correct.

4. Fake currency

How it works:

Fake currency is a big problem all over Peru, both in Sol and USD. In fact, it is the world leader in producing counterfeit USD notes.

Scammers target visitors in tourist areas and will ask if you can help them by changing a 100 Sol note into two 50 Sol notes.

What you won’t realize is that the 100 Sol bill that they gave you is counterfeit and therefore worthless.

What to do:

If someone asks you to help them change money on the street then this is often a scam.

To differentiate between real and fake Peruvian Sol, here are some tips:

Touching the currency: the Sol is made using 100% cotton paper and it comes with a strength and distinctive texture. Genuine ones are made using relief printing, so don’t feel completely smooth. Rather you will find it slightly raised when running your finger along the print “Banco Central de Reserva del Peru”.

Looking / checking: an easy feature to verify by looking is the watermark which can be seen in the part of the note that appears blank. If you hold up that part of the note against the sun, a quality 3D image is visible. The watermark, usually the face of iconic figure may also be on a fake note, but will lack the definition you see on a genuine currency note.

Turning the note: When the note is raised to eye level and turned on its axis, you will note the shift in the color of the ink that appears in the central number. This ought to alternate between purple and green as you turn the note in the light.

5. Street money exchange

Sierra

How it works:

You might get approached by money changers on the streets who will try to change fake notes with you.

After changing, they may also point you out to pickpockets whom they could be working with.

What to do:

Do not exchange money on the streets.

In Cusco, only use the money offices at Avenida el Sol and in Lima, and official money changers such as FINSERVA.

6. Fake kidnappings

How it works:

A similar scam to the one in Mexico, this can happen when you are befriended by a friendly local and tell them that you are going on a multi-day hike or tour.

They will ask you for the contact details of your family members in case of emergency and will use these to scam you.

When you go on the trek and are out of contact with your family, they will use your details to call one of your relatives and tell them that you have been kidnapped.

They will then ask your family member to transfer money to them for your release.

What to do:

Do not give out any of your contact details to anyone you meet on a trip to Peru, especially if you do not know them very well.

Be vigilant if someone asks for your details after you have told them that you are going on a trek or tour.

7. Express kidnappings

Arequipa

How it works:

This happens in Arequipa City where against their will, victims are held and forced to accompany the thugs around the ATMs in the city.

Once your account withdrawal limit is reached, the victim is quickly released.

However, some have continued to be held captive for a number of days until they are able to truly empty the account.

What to do:

One solution is to maintain another special account for purposes of travelling needs.

This means you can easily top-up your account whenever you need to without being left penniless in case such a kidnapping occurs.

Further, get travel insurance (e.g. World Nomads, trusted by Lonely Planet) for two key purposes:

Monetary compensation for any loss of valuables.

Medical coverage in case you are assaulted.

8. The lottery ticket scam

How it works:

Scammers sometimes approach visitors saying that they have a winning lottery ticket.

For some reason however they can’t claim the prize and they will ‘prove’ that they have the same lottery numbers as the ones printed in a local newspaper.

They will then tell you that they will sell you the ticket for a small fee and you can then claim the larger prize yourself.

What to do:

This is clearly a scam and the best way to avoid it is to simply refuse anyone who offers you a ‘winning’ lottery ticket.

9. Shoe shine scam

How it works:

Like in China, Turkey and Vietnam, this scam is also prevalent in Cusco and other major cities across Peru.

A scammer will come up you and offer to clean your shoes.

Once you agree on a price the scammer will get to work and then start to do other things such as spray a waterproof substance on your shoes to keep them clean.

This however costs extra and will not be included in the original price you agreed with the scammer up front.

It will also usually be much higher than the cost to clean the shoes.

What to do:

Shoe shine services are well known in Peru as they often try to scam foreigners.

As such it is best to clean your shoes yourself or be extremely clear about the service you want.

Make sure to refuse any offers of extra services like waterproof spray if you don’t want to pay extra for these.

10. Rigged ATMs

How it works:

ATM scams are common in big cities in Peru. Generally, ATMs can be rigged in two ways.

First, the card skimmer and pinhole camera set up:

A card skimmer is installed over the card slot to capture your card details.

As for the pinhole camera, it is used to capture your PIN.

Second, the card trap:

Scammers can use cheap tools to rig the card slot to trap your card.

When you find your card stuck, they will come over and act as a helpful soul, and ask you to retype your PIN to make the card come out.

Obviously, your card will still be trapped, but the scammer will have now seen your PIN.

Should you head into the bank or somewhere else to seek help, the scammer will unblock your card and escape.

What to do:

Avoid using ATMs at dark, secluded areas. Use only those in controlled environments such as in banks. Avoid shopping malls as security guards are sometimes part of the scam.

Scan the area as well for any suspicious looking characters, and cover your PIN when typing it in.

Hotspots: the VRAEM (Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers), a remote area in the Andes is a safe haven for drug traffickers and terrorists. Other remote areas in the Andes and Amazon basin and border area with Colombia are also dangerous.

Volcanic eruption: avoid areas downwind and river valleys downstream of the volcano, do not drive in heavy ash fall, seek shelter (if no need to evacuate) or high ground if no shelter (crouch down away from volcano, cover head with arms).

4. Road safety

How it works:

It can be dangerous driving in Peru, due to:

Poorly maintained roads which lack crash barriers, streetlights, etc.

Fog on coastal and mountain highways reduces visibility.

Narrow winding roads without a shoulder and steep drop offs.

Poor driving standards such as sudden stopping in the middle of the road and ignoring road rules.